I would be remiss, if I did not thank Effie, of Talia’s Steakhouse, for hosting this kiddush in his restaurant. The Baal Shem Tov says naming is about the child’s potential - the “Shaim” means ‘there’ from the root ‘shom’ – the destination of what we hope our child to be. We went from young, doting first time parents to devastated paralyzed adults. I quickly contacted Gift of Life Foundation and setup a drive. To do the transplant, we had to move to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, for the next 6 months, physically isolated from our families. To stay connected we started a blog called “Eye on Ayelet,” posting photos, medical updates, and observations. And her unusual optimism jumped off the page and somehow went viral. This miracle of a girl had the entire Jewish people cheering her on. Infertility and genetics are a foreign language, a different, complex, painful world, but one that Bonei Olam speaks so fluently. And because of this, Akiva Nechamtanu, Akiva you have comforted us. Rechnitz, who because of his generosity in supporting genetic research for Bonei Olam, gives people like Hindy and I another chance at parenthood. So far, Ayelet’s campaign has found matches for 115 children and adults suffering from blood cancers.

The Maharal that says parents get a prophecy to determine the name, to determine who the child will be. She came home and we felt like all first time parents. That next Shabbos we walked from shul to shul imploring each Rabbi to announce that our daughter needed a bone marrow transplant and we had to find a donor. But our community, our friends knew exactly how to respond. Within a few weeks we had bone marrow drives for Ayelet in almost every major city in the United States. When she got sick, prayers and tefillah groups would pop up across the globe. We called the thousands of visitors to her blog, her fan club: Ayelet Nation. But with time, a heartbreaking sense of no future set in. They said they would study her full DNA sequence to find the mutation. And I am happy to say, after one year of partnership with Bonei Olam, our miracle arrived. And one day our boy will learn about the beautiful girl that paved the way for him. We are writing to share some exciting news about one story, and give you an update on the contribution you made to Gift of Life during Ayelet’s search.

I want to be in a casino next time to use this power. But if you actually look in the Torah, you see the Matriarchs name their children differently, not what they want for them, or after dead ancestors of the past – but where they the giver, the parent, are currently. Ayelet’s smile would win over the hearts of the world. And when the transplant was a success, Ayelet Nation, rejoiced. But then, at day 150 post-procedure, Ayelet lung’s became infected. Because Ayelet’s disease was genetic and the mutation not known, there was no safe way for Hindy and I to have more children. We are now the proud and grateful parents of a healthy 1 year old son named Akiva Max. They help frame the trauma and search for a path forward. For the sea to split, we need to go all in, up to our necks. One of the donors who was a match is a 22 year old young man tested while studying in Israel.

The word Sham, meaning name, the two letters are also found hidden within the word Neshama. Deeply personal, reflective of their current situation. She is a renewal back to, quiet….a return for us, to normalcy. They say that after the splitting of the sea, the next miracle was surviving the dessert – and it says the miraculous maana, that sustained the Jews in the dessert, was said to be covered in layers of dew, Tal. Sometimes everyday little things conceal a larger miracle. And then celebrities came on board, like Rihanna and 50Cent, tweeting to find her a match. And thank g-d we were able to find a match to do the transplant. And, with her fragile immune system not fully repaired, she simply could not fight it off. We gave the name, Akiva, to our beautiful son because like his namesake, who knew so much tragedy and failure, he continuously kept on being an optimist. Only leaders like Rabbi Bochner and Chaim Jalas - are able to look you squarely in the eye with such love and say: This trauma is our trauma. We will cry together, and now we will create together. A recent Yeshiva University graduate, he saved the life of a 53 year old woman with aplastic anemia.

So like for example, Leah describes naming Reuven, Shimon, Levi as all ways to thank God that perhaps now her husband will love her… To experience Talia is to feel the blessings of a refreshed life. Our little Talia Miriam, Like our Akiva Max, is a reminder that our prayers, our personal Tefilas Tal, have been answered….there is balance back in the universe. In my head when I think about the early morning, I imagine the Ayelet Hashachar - the morning star, and the little drops of dew shimmering in the light working together, hand in hand - as reminder that things can start anew. This is real Gevura, the softer strength, this is why our religion make the prayer for Tal so important, to show that simple quiet acts of kindness of sustenance are stronger than any storm. The sukkos edition of Mishpacha Magazine includes a collection of perosnal stories of people who documented a period of time, in a diary or journal. She spent 2 months in the NICU and we thought that the trauma was over. We tried everything but – and there are no words to describe this. The mother of two kids in their early 20s, she is paying it forward as a patient advocate for others in similar circumstances at the hospital where she received her transplant!

about her feelings, she the name giver, not the baby. The Miriam is after Hindy’s Grandmother, Arna’s mother, Marion Smith Panar. As God’s love is like that of a parent, an unceasing and immutable love for his children. And on a personal level - our lives have had so much thunder and lightening, and so many ups and downs – so much Geshem, rain, so many big miracles, Ayelet Nation, NIH, Akiva and yes much to be thankful for – but this child…. We say each day in davening, God renews the world everyday. The Roz Galena’s the Miriam Panars embodied these traits. We were fortunate to be included, in our case: Ayelet’s blog. Everything about this baby, was miraculous – born in a miraculous fashion – through a motzei Shabbos snow storm, two months early, an emergency C-section, We heard crying - it’s a girl! Our little deer, just 2 years old, the prayer, inspiration, and hero of so many, did not make it through. We will have the incredible opportunity to introduce this donor-recipient pair on stage in front of hundreds of guests at Gift of Life’s Annual Gala on June 11 in New York City.Moses names son Gershon – because I was a stranger in a strange land etc. The English name, Rose, after my grandma Roselyn Insdorf Galena. ROZSo Rose – For my fathers’s mother, my Grandma Roz. And because of this, our rabbis always argue that Dew is far greater than Rain. We are standing not due to the big rain showers, or of a miraculous splitting the sea – but due to the small, often taken for granted acts of kindness by God, our community, our friends, our family. Bonei Olam is a Jewish org that helps couples with infertility and genetic challenges, that helped us after Ayelet passed away. Our story starts like all good stories, with a girl. Of course we would be honored if you would join us, but if not, then please consider making a donation to the Ayelet Galena Donor Circle to perpetuate our daughter’s memory and legacy for years to come.So it’s about the parents situation, not the child. Roslyn Galena who was born just up the road in the Bronx, but raised her 4 kids in Worcester, Massachusetts – the devoted wife to my Zayde Solomon Galena, who owned the Israel Galena Rubbage Company. And I remember her voice, her thick Boston accent - My grandmother would work as the dispatcher from home, coordinating pickups - and I can still remember being woken by her managing all the garbage trucks at 5AM in a booming voice “Truck #2 - Big Pickup need a Gabage Caw! At our seder she would say “Ah lawd awmightly, outstretched awm.”But outside of that she was always reserved, pensive, with a quiet, stern look of anxiousness, nervousness like the German bubbies of the past generation. And they describe God’s love of the Jews to be like the dew, and NOT like the rain – as dew isn’t dependent on anything we do. So many of you in this room continue to do, and for that we are eternally grateful. The only other two things I see at that time of day are runners, my dad, and deers, Ayelets. We were honored to speak at their first Los Angeles event. I was a west side guy from Philadelphia and Hindy was a girl from Montreal…Many of you know the drill… Your gift will be used to test more donors in memory of Ayelet.And it makes sense, she didn’t have an easy life, no stability – her mother abandoned her and her brother when they were young; her only brother Harold at age 21 was drafted to fight in World War II, and his plane was shot down; MIA. And so her life was dedicated to bringing a stability to her 4 kids, her husband, her home. She would name her first son after her brother, Harold, my dad. But she was pretty quiet - always cleaning or setting up a dinner. Her passions were local and simple – she would watch every Red Sox game – knew every score. And even weirder, as Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove points out, its placed in the Gevura section of the Shmona Esrei davening, which is suppose to focus on God’s attribute of strength. Just to close, the only time I really notice dew, aside from the many year waking up in summer camp, is when I walk out of shul on Shavous morning, after learning all night, and it’s quiet, there is this sense of accomplishment to see the dew, I see it, smell the morning. So when those of you who stay up this Shavous to learn - remember our little Talia, a personal Tefillas Tal. How blessed we all really are – by God and by eachother. dubbed “Where Miracles Happened” they raised over 0k in just 20 minutes of text to donate. Thanks Bonei Olam for all the awesomeness that you do! If you look at the history of miracles, there is a pattern. Think about it, every Jewish miracle –Leaving Egypt, Chanukah, Purim – each story, each miracle, is preceded by despair, anguish, pain. Just click on the link below, and then on the red “GIVE” button!She would never pass up a night at the casino or a crossword…but everything came second to constant sustaining her family. And yet, Judaism/chazal is insanely crazy about Dew. We even add a whole major part of Passover davening dedicated to lowly Dew. Also, I mean it’s Pesach - Outstreched Arm, 10 plagues, and we are focused on dew to show God’s strength? Text of speech: BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL - Good evening. https:// if you would like to attend the gala, please click here: https://gala.giftoflife.org/ Thank you all for your incredible support!I’d selfishly love visiting cause she would make formal 3 course breakfast lunch and dinner meals – something foreign to our family. Hailing from Canada, a twin, (another Poupko Galena theme), who seemed to be ahead of her time in everything. Splitting the sea makes sense, but how does this make sense? My name is Hindy Poupko and I’m delighted to be here tonight with my husband, Seth Galena to celebrate Bonei Olam and this evening of miracles. Yes to bonei olam, yes to more Jewish families and yes to the continued vitality of the Jewish people. Sincerely, Hindy and Seth This article was featured in the November 2014 Healthy Living Section of the Jewish Press. Getting off the subway that early Sunday in middle-of-nowhere Brooklyn we felt as lost as we had been for the past year since our daughter Ayelet passed away.